Falling or Flying
Studio album by
Jorja Smith
Released29 September 2023 (2023-09-29)
GenreR&B[1][2]
Length43:39
LabelFAMM
Producer
  • Blue May
  • DameDame*
  • Jodi Milliner
  • New Machine
  • P2J
Jorja Smith chronology
Be Right Back
(2021)		 Falling or Flying
(2023)
Singles from Falling or Flying
  1. "Try Me"
    Released: 13 April 2023
  2. "Little Things"
    Released: 11 May 2023
  3. "Go Go Go"
    Released: 3 August 2023
  4. "Falling or Flying"
    Released: 30 August 2023

Falling or Flying is the second studio album by British singer Jorja Smith, released on 29 September 2023 through FAMM. The album was primarily produced by DameDame*[3] and includes features from J Hus and Lila Iké. It marks Smith's first full-length album in five years and was preceded by the release of four singles: "Try Me", "Little Things",[4] "Go Go Go" and "Falling or Flying".[5]

Background

A press release stated that the album "thrillingly broaches any gap between jazz, soul, R&B and funky house", while Smith herself stated that the lyrical content "touch[es] on breakups, relationships with my friends, relationships with old friends, relationships with myself". Smith also called each song a "standstill moment".[4] Billboard stated that in comparison to Smith's first album, Falling or Flying has Smith "stepping into womanhood" and "more sure of herself than ever before".[3]

Promotion

The album was announced on 18 May 2023.[6] In addition to the first three singles released throughout 2023, Smith released the self-directed music video for the fourth single "Falling or Flying" on 30 August,[7] and also released the track list at the same time.[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.1/10[8]
Metacritic74/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
DIY[10]
Exclaim!6/10[11]
Mojo[2]
MusicOMH[12]
NME[13]
Pitchfork7.6/10[14]

Falling or Flying received a score of 74 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on thirteen critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[9] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.1 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[8]

Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote that "Smith has kept her sound strictly focused. No matter how many layers are in the final mixes—and there can be plenty tucked in—the songs present themselves as minimal, with stripped-down riffs behind aching vocals. In other words, rhythms and blues".[1] Joe Goggins of DIY called the album "compelling evidence" that Smith "made the right decision" to "take her time in crafting her comeback", writing that "this is thoughtful, nuanced R&B that demonstrates Jorja's kaleidoscopic feel for her genre".[10]

NME's Thomas Smith compared the album to Solange's When I Get Home (2019), calling it "an uncompromising and arresting treasure of a record" as "scarcely any songs [...] sound the same, but the throughline of Smith trusting her gut remains and reconnecting with herself remains a guiding constant".[13] Reviewing the album for MusicOMH, John Murphy opined that it "feels more authentically like Smith's real self. There's less in the way of down-tempo ballads, leaving her room to explore and develop her sound: and there seems more chance of flight than fall by the quality of her new songs".[12] Aimee Cliff of Pitchfork felt that the "unhurried, self-possessed" album "soars when it lets loose".[14]

Wesley McLean of Exclaim! wrote that the album "finds Smith exploring new sounds and crossing into different genres. A valiant effort, the album is sometimes hindered by this omnivorous approach, ultimately lacking the cohesion and vision of her previous release".[11] Mojo felt that "Smith often finds herself stuck in a musical straitjacket of tired R&B tropes, rarely able to break out of a narrow comfort zone".[2]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Jorja Smith; "Feelings" co-written by Momodou Jallow

Falling or Flying track listing
No.TitleMusicProducer(s)Length
1."Try Me"
  • Jorja Smith
  • Barbara Boko-Hyouyhat
  • Edith Nelson
DameDame*3:33
2."She Feels"
  • Smith
  • Boko-Hyouyhat
  • Nelson
DameDame*3:12
3."Little Things"
  • P2J
  • New Machine
3:24
4."Flights Skit"
  • Smith
  • Boko-Hyouyhat
  • Nelson
  • Momodou Jallow
DameDame*0:17
5."Feelings" (featuring J Hus)
  • Smith
  • Boko-Hyouyhat
  • Nelson
  • Jallow
DameDame*3:57
6."Falling or Flying"
  • Smith
  • Boko-Hyouyhat
  • Nelson
  • Isong
  • Marco Bernardis
DameDame*3:24
7."Go Go Go"
  • Smith
  • Boko-Hyouyhat
  • Nelson
DameDame*2:25
8."Try and Fit In"
  • Smith
  • Boko-Hyouyhat
  • Nelson
  • Sabre
  • New Machine
DameDame*1:56
9."Greatest Gift" (featuring Lila Iké)
  • DameDame*
  • P2J
3:12
10."Broken Is the Man"
P2J2:12
11."Make Sense"
  • Smith
  • Boko-Hyouyhat
  • Nelson
  • Isong
  • Rory O'Brien
P2J2:21
12."Too Many Times"
  • Smith
  • Boko-Hyouyhat
  • Nelson
DameDame*2:38
13."Lately"
  • Smith
  • Boko-Hyouyhat
  • Nelson
  • Isong
  • Wesley Joseph
DameDame*2:07
14."BT69 JJY"
  • Smith
  • Isong
  • Bernardis
  • O'Brien
  • Matthew James Roberts
  • Ed Thomas
P2J0:25
15."Backwards"
  • Smith
  • Isong
  • Bernardis
  • O'Brien
  • Roberts
  • Thomas
P2J3:44
16."What If My Heart Beats Faster?"
  • Smith
  • Blue May
  • Jodi Milliner
  • May
  • Milliner
4:52
Total length:43:39

Personnel

Musicians

  • Jorja Smith – lead vocals (tracks 1–3, 5–13, 15, 16), background vocals (1–3, 5, 7–16)
  • Barbara Boko-Hyouyhat – programming (1–11, 13), background vocals (1–3, 5–8, 12)
  • Edith Nelson – programming (1–11, 13), background vocals (1, 3, 5–10, 12)
  • Wesley Joseph – background vocals (2)
  • Marco Bernardis – background vocals (3)
  • Richard Isong – background vocals (3), programming (3, 9–11, 14, 15)
  • Adam Jordan – programming (3)
  • Jasmine Kayser – background vocals (7)
  • Alecia Grey – lead vocals (9)
  • Blue May – programming (16)
  • Jodi Milliner – programming (16)

Technical

  • Stuart Hawkes – mastering
  • Ricky Damian – mixing (all tracks), engineering (1, 3, 7, 8, 16)
  • Giacomo Vianello – engineering (3, 7, 9), vocal engineering (6), engineering assistance (10)
  • Blue May – engineering (16)
  • Jeremy Murphy – string engineering (1, 6, 12, 14, 16)
  • DameDame* – vocal engineering (1, 2, 5–7, 9–13, 15)
  • Joshua Faulkner – vocal engineering (9, 16)
  • Prash "Engine-Earz" Mistry – surround mix engineering
  • Lavar Bullard – surround mix engineering assistance
  • Lizzie Arnold – engineering assistance (8)
  • Dan Martindale – engineering assistance (10)
  • Ishaan Nimkar – engineering assistance (10)
  • Kevin Douglas – engineering assistance (10)

Charts

Chart performance for Falling or Flying
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australian Hip Hop/R&B Albums (ARIA)[15] 29
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[16] 44
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[17] 22
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[18] 16
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[19] 23
French Albums (SNEP)[20] 14
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[21] 56
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[22] 33
Scottish Albums (OCC)[23] 5
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[24] 71
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] 8
UK Albums (OCC)[26] 3
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[27] 2
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[28] 1

References

  1. 1 2 Pareles, Jon (28 September 2023). "Jorja Smith Puts a Beat Behind Mixed Emotions on Falling or Flying". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "Jorja Smith – Falling or Flying". Metacritic. November 2023. p. 88.
  3. 1 2 Mamo, Heran (28 August 2023). "Why Jorja Smith's New Album Is Her Most Inspired Yet". Billboard. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  4. 1 2 Shutler, Ali (20 May 2023). "Jorja Smith announces new album Falling or Flying". NME. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  5. 1 2 Lejarde, Arielle Lana (30 August 2023). "Jorja Smith unveils Falling or Flying tracklist, shares title track". The Fader. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  6. ↑ Minsker, Evan (18 May 2023). "Jorja Smith Announces New Album Falling or Flying". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  7. ↑ Taylor, Sam (31 August 2023). "Jorja Smith has released a new song and video, 'Falling or flying'". Dork. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Jorja Smith – Falling or Flying reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Falling or Flying by Jorja Smith Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  10. 1 2 Goggins, Joe (28 September 2023). "Jorja Smith – Falling or Flying review". DIY. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  11. 1 2 McLean, Wesley (28 September 2023). "Jorja Smith Tries It All on Falling or Flying". Exclaim!. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  12. 1 2 Murphy, John (28 September 2023). "Jorja Smith – Falling or Flying | Album Reviews". MusicOMH. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  13. 1 2 Smith, Thomas (28 September 2023). "Jorja Smith – Falling or Flying review: R&B star finds a joyful, complex sound". NME. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  14. 1 2 Cliff, Aimee (2 October 2023). "Jorja Smith: Falling or Flying Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  15. ↑ "ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 9 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  16. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Jorja Smith – Falling or Flying" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  17. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Jorja Smith – Falling or Flying" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  18. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Jorja Smith – Falling or Flying" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  19. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Jorja Smith – Falling or Flying" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  20. ↑ "Top Albums (Week 40, 2023)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  21. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Jorja Smith – Falling or Flying" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  22. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 9 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  23. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  24. ↑ "Top 100 Albums Weekly". El portal de Música. Promusicae. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  25. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Jorja Smith – Falling or Flying". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  26. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  27. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  28. ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
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